2012
by Mirufey
Summary: The year is 2012. As the world is about to end, Tsuna reluctantly gives life one last try, to be something more than No-Good. AU, one-shot


**2012**

* * *

A/N: Warning: sensitive content - bullying.

Disclaimer: the methods for countering bullying in this fic were mostly drawn from forums like Reddit and may not work in reality, depending on the circumstances.

* * *

It was their last day of the semester, about six months before the world was going to end, and the results for their exams had just been released.

Tsuna joined the crowd at the noticeboard, wondering if he was really was a masochist - he'd already seen his grades for the finals and surely straight F's would place him at the bottom of his cohort. But he lined up to see his ranking anyway, for some twisted form of closure and confirmation that he really was ' _No-Good Tsuna_.'

The other students pushed and shoved him around to get to the front. Tsuna merely shrugged it off. At least no one was intentionally giving him a hard time, given that they were all too absorbed in their own achievements. When he was finally able to take a peek at the noticeboard, Tsuna did a double take and burst out laughing.

Not last - he was _second_ last. Somehow he'd beaten Mochida. Not that it mattered though, because grades suddenly became meaningless when there was no guarantee that they would even live to graduate from middle school.

"The world is not going to end," Kurokawa insisted to her friend Kyoko as they walked past Tsuna. "Although the environment is decaying, it will take more than six months for humanity to be wiped out. It is scientifically impossible."

Kyoko smiled in that unique way of hers that made heat rush into Tsuna's cheeks. As expected of the school idol. "The Mayan calendar comes to an end," she argued lightly, running a hand through her golden brown hair. "There's an ancient prophecy that the year 2012 will bring great, drastic changes to the planet. Maybe they're right."

"And we had a 9-magnitude earthquake last year!" another student exclaimed, "Then the tsunami that caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster. I'm telling you, the apocalypse has begun!"

Tsuna wanted to add his own two cents to the discussion but he spotted Mochida emerging from the locker room with his cronies trailing behind. The captain of the kendo club wasn't going to be happy about his ranking and Tsuna would rather not be beaten into a bloody pulp for the second time that week, so he lowered his head and quietly slipped away.

 _Let it end_ , Tsuna thought bitterly as he exited the gates of Namimori Middle School. The world he lived in was a rotten place. Its people were too blind in their own selfish pursuits, and Tsuna was sick of being trapped in a world that had never wanted him.

Perhaps in his next life, he'd be more fortunate.

* * *

His mother was absolutely delighted that her No-Good Tsuna had exceeded her expectations and ran off to the supermarket to prepare for a celebratory feast. She was so genuine with her happiness though, so Tsuna forced himself to go along with it and ignored how much her backhanded compliment had stung.

He sighed and sank heavily into his chair. With nothing better to do, he switched on his computer, planning to spend the rest of the day gaming. Remedial summer classes didn't start until next week, so he might as well sit back and enjoy a few games.

Except he'd forgotten how salty gamers could get. Thirty seconds into his first match, some asshole he was laning with named Storm59 was already spamming him with pings and swearing at him in the chat box. Tsuna begrudgingly followed his team into the enemy jungle, only to give first blood after being snared and subsequently decimated by the enemy team who'd been hiding inside a nearby brush.

" _FabulousFish, what the fuck!_ "

Tsuna leaned back as his screen dimmed, showing that he'd died. When the respawn timer ticked down to zero, he immediately teleported his champion back to the bottom lane and tried to heal his marksman, who had more than half of his health bar gone. Which apparently wasn't the best idea as Storm59 unleashed a new wave of invectives.

" _You just healed a minion, you fucking noob!_ " It was amazing how the guy could type such lengthy messages whilst killing enemy minions perfectly. " _And stop hitting my farm!_ "

Tsuna was already on tilt - he had a glorious ten loss streak since his last login - and Storm59's trash-talk wasn't helping. Especially when his other teammates joined in, telling him to stay at base because he was so useless, because he was a feeder and should be reported for being the worst player they had ever seen.

He gave up trying to remain relevant after ten minutes and spent most the game dead. Still, his team won. Not that it made him feel better, especially when Storm59 carried the game after a flashy solo pentakill that had everyone sucking his dick.

Tsuna was about to switch off his computer and crawl into bed when a friend request popped up on the side of his screen. Well. If it wasn't the asshole who'd been so antagonistic towards him throughout the entire game. But Tsuna accepted the request anyway, at least to ask what the hell his problem was.

" _You suck, dumbass,_ " Storm59 wrote, sparing no mercy. " _For a level 30, do you even know how to play this game?_ "

As a matter of fact, Tsuna had been playing for almost two years. " _If you're so good, why are you smurfing?_ " he typed back, more than a little wounded.

" _Elo-boosting_ ," Storm59 answered simply. " _Getting this account from Bronze to Diamond_."

What a dick. Honestly, it was people like Storm59 that ruined the gaming experiences of those who weren't so mechanically gifted. They were no different from Mochida and the other students at his school who kicked him to the ground and mocked him for losing the genetic lottery.

" _Has it occurred to you that you may have ruined someone's day?_ " Tsuna typed, hitting the 'enter' key with more force than he'd intended.

The answer was blunt and matter-of-fact. " _If you wanna get good, go read up some guides on the forums and watch pro gameplays. Stop whining and do something about it._ "

 _Do something about it._

Tsuna gave a humourless laugh as he logged off. _If only you were in my shoes_ , he thought.

* * *

 **Ask Forum**

 **New Topic: [Serious Replies Only] Our Final Days**

 _Hey guys,_

 _When I think about the upcoming apocalypse, I feel a twinge of bitterness and regret. I guess it's because there's so little in my life that I'll miss when the world crumbles to dust. And it's probably too late to do anything about it too._

 _My name is FabulousFish and I'm in middle school. I'm fourteen, shorter than the other boys in my grade and I've always been clumsy and unlucky. I have a short attention span, anxiety issues and I've been flunking my tests since elementary school, which have earned me an embarrassing nickname. The worst part? I probably deserve it because the only things I'm remotely good at are failing and having no friends._

 _Seriously though, I can't remember if I've ever had someone I could call a friend. I can only recall being alone at school - eating lunch in a toilet cubicle, not having a partner for group work, and being the last to be picked on a sporting team. The last time someone tried to be nice to me was this girl who wanted to become the class president by 'helping the weak,' and she eventually moved schools because our classmates started bullying her too._

 _The painful truth is that I have no allies at this school. My teachers use me to motivate the other students to study harder so they don't end up like me. My classmates give me shit to feel better about themselves and they do whatever they can to break my spirit and keep me down. I've tried to 'be strong' and ignore them, but how else could you respond if you were a weak teenager who's terrible at everything and suddenly a group of five come at you with kendo swords?_

 _Well, you curl up, protect your head and vitals, hide in the bathroom, clean yourself up and act like everything is fine because you are powerless and the school would rather get rid of one F-average student than expel a group of promising young athletes. They have a reputation to remain after all, and limited fucks to give about the welfare of minorities._

 _If you're wondering why I'm posting on the self-help forum, I guess I just want to connect with those of you who can share your own experiences with bullying and offer possible solutions that don't involve growing bigger balls and beating up the entire school. And maybe tips on how to make a friend before some deity blows up the Earth and frees us all._

 _\- FabulousFish_

 _PS: Don't tell me the world isn't going to end on 21 December. I'm counting on it._

Tsuna leaned back and flexed his fingers. What started off as an anonymous rant on an internet forum had certainly gone deeper, exposing some serious angst. But it had been cathartic to write, and before Tsuna knew it, he'd typed more words than he'd ever written in a school exam.

Mustering up any ounce of courage he had, Tsuna hit the 'post' button and shut down his computer.

* * *

His post got about ten hits and no comments when he checked the stats the next morning. Tsuna contemplated deleting it, because it felt kind of silly in retrospect to pour his heart out to people who clearly didn't give a damn. But when he was tried deleting his post, the internet blinked out so he decided to leave it online for the time being.

Summer remedial classes were scheduled three days a week, preparing the students to sit for another set of exams before the start of the second semester. They were held in the older classrooms on the other side of the building, where the air conditioning worked once in a blue moon and flies swarmed the interiors. Fans blew papers off the table and the chairs were hot and slick with sweat.

Thankfully Mochida hadn't shown up. He and his friends were preparing for a kendo competition against a rival school, and the principal had allowed him to defer his remedial exams. Namimori Middle School was more famous for its sports anyway, and because Mochida was one of the school's sporting aces, they'd probably even drop the plagiarism offences and declare his ranking to be an administrative error.

Tsuna was pretending to read his textbook when the door slid open and Yamamoto Takeshi strolled in. The school's baseball star exchanged glances with Tsuna, rubbed the back of his neck and took a seat at the back of the classroom. Then Yamamoto plugged in his earbuds and turned to stare outside the window.

The silence grew heavy and awkward on Tsuna's end, only remedied by the teacher commencing the school day with a roll call. Everything blurred after that, with Nezu-sensei droning on and on about molecules and the usual story of him graduating with first-class honours at Tokyo University. But oh, _of course you don't care, No-Good Tsuna, with your grades, how would you even get into university?_

Tsuna sank deeper into his seat and eyed at the clock. Five more hours. He gazed forlornly at the distant school gates outside his window. There was something black perched at the top of the gates. Upon closer inspection, it was not a bird, but a sleeping human grasping steel tonfas that glinted wickedly in the sunlight.

 _Hibari Kyouya._ The feared school prefect and chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.

Tsuna glanced back down at his textbook, swallowing nervously as he tried to tune into Nezu-sensei's lecture.

A minute later, he began drawing moustaches on the cartoon characters. Five minutes later, he'd whipped out his coloured pens to bring the greyscale book to life.

* * *

His post got seven downvotes, five upvotes and two replies by the end of the school day. Tsuna skimmed over the shorter one first, trying to quell the anxiety that flared whenever people judged him:

 **RE: [Serious Replies Only] Our Final Days**

 _Hidden in truths lie lies, and hidden in lies hides the truth. We speak of humanity yet no humanity remains. The world will end because it had me as its opponent._

 _\- Pineapple69_

Tsuna reported the user for trolling and deleted the comment. He reminded himself that there were assholes and trolls everywhere on the internet. Then he took a deep breath and focused on the lengthier reply, from someone in Italy:

 **RE: [Serious Replies Only] Our Final Days**

 _The end of the world is physically and scientifically impossible until at least another thousand years. I can see that your country's education system has clearly failed because no rational person would believe such baseless theories._

 _My advice for you would be to do yourself a favour and quit blaming others and making excuses for your problems, especially when most of them appear to be self-inflicted. Being the victim has become such an integral part of your identity that perhaps you are content with never being anything more. You wish for others to pity you, because you have no motivation to do anything that will make them respect you. And yet you wonder why your peers view you as a loser and refuse to befriend you._

 _In reality, people are inherently attracted to success - even if it's illusionary. Success leads to influence, and influence leads to power. As such, you should work towards a list of goals, step out of your bubble of ignorance and laziness, and demonstrate value. You want your peers to respect you? Do something about it. Blaming them for your misfortune is counterproductive and merely reveals your immaturity._

 _If you still believe in the apocalypse, then use the remaining six months to take action, however small. Then you will realise that this so-called futility is merely another excuse you are telling yourself to continue being lazy and escape responsibility._

 _\- R_

Tsuna stared at the screen in disbelief.

"How could you say that?" he whispered as he scrolled through R's reply. It was so viciously rude, so condescending and so arrogant. Each blatant accusation and insult drove the knife deeper into his wounds, and without warning, tears hit the keyboard and the screen before him blurred.

Tsuna buried his head in his arms, his eyes burning and chest heaving as he sobbed. And he cried and cried, because he'd been so desperately hoping for some support and sympathy from the online community to escape from the unforgiving real world, and life wouldn't even give him that small concession.

He hit the reply button, suddenly desperate to give the asshole piece of his mind. To make him understand that it _wasn't_ his fault. R had no idea that in Japan, teachers actively participated in school bullying. To make one student utterly alone and shunned to the point that befriending them was social suicide.

And it didn't matter whether he had the motivation to win his peers' respect or to be more than a victim of bullying. Tsuna had spent most of his life trying to belong and even his mother had given up on him, so why not just roll along with it?

He spent the rest of the day attempting to compose a reply that didn't sound resentful or absolutely shattered. He couldn't come up with anything in the end.

* * *

"Mum, what makes life worth living?" Tsuna had once asked his mother during dinner. He'd been poking his vegetables with his chopsticks, his injured stomach in too much pain to digest it. "Why are we still _here?_ "

"We live because of family of course!" his mother had answered, beaming like sunshine. It was too bright it hurt his eyes. "And love!"

It was nothing new, but still ironic. Nana had a husband who never visited nor called home, and a son who failed in all aspects of life. They were quite poor, had no family friends, and it wasn't as if Tsuna could assist his mother with her problems because he was too caught up with his own.

So he had plastered on a smile and tried to appear cheerful, even though it killed him that his mother still clung to a schoolgirl's fantasy after Iemitsu had more or less abandoned them years ago. He could never tell if she truly believed that they were a happy family, or if she allowed herself be deluded to cope with reality.

"T-That's wonderful," Tsuna had answered at last, his voice cracking.

"You are a good person just like your father!" Nana reassured, cutting off a large chunk of her own Salisbury steak and moving it onto Tsuna's plate. "One day you will have a beautiful wife and children and everything will make sense!"

"Like it did to you?" God, he envied her. If only he could smile and believe the good in everyone. But how could he, when life seemed to torment him at every turn?

Warm arms wrapped around him. "My No-Good Tsuna doesn't have to go to a top university," Nana told him, brushing a stray lock of hair from his face. "Just live as if it's your last day!"

Tsuna's smile faltered. 'No-Good Tsuna' - she'd called him that again. He pushed her arms away and stared at the uneaten steak, unable to meet her gaze.

The thing was, he _always_ tried to be better - he really did. But how could he expect to change, when even his own mother believed he was good for nothing?

* * *

Motivational quotes were often problematic when you examined them at a deeper level. Tsuna couldn't bring himself to tell his mother that the quote 'Live life as if it's your last day' essentially promoted recklessness and instant gratification.

Tsuna was of the opinion that not everybody wished to leave a mark on the world before they left. He himself had no ambition to become wealthy or influential, and by this point, he didn't care if he died at the bottom of society. Even if he tried his hardest to 'make something of himself,' everyone would just push him back down.

As such, it _was_ futile to chase after an unachievable dream on your last day, and it was much better to go somewhere far, to splurge on something nice and expensive, and to be free of all responsibility. After all, what would be the point of being productive when you wouldn't live to enjoy the benefits?

R was wrong. He needed to get off his high horse. He had no right to make such harsh accusations when he didn't even _know_ Tsuna.

Tsuna's thoughts were interrupted when his mother entered his room, traversing through the maze of unwashed clothes, textbooks and scattered stationery. He was silent as her gaze drifted to his exam papers poking out of the drawers. He didn't need to hide them from her anymore - she already knew he was attending remedial classes, as he did every semester.

"How was school, Tsu-kun?" she asked, pulling the curtains shut so that the sunset wasn't so blinding.

"It was okay," he answered as always, staring at a blank screen on his computer. He ignored the plate of apple slices she set on his desk beside his uneaten dinner, and waited for her to leave.

Fabric rustled behind him as Nana straightened his sheets and plumped up his pillows. "You shouldn't throw your clothes onto the floor," she scolded, kneeling down to tidy it up.

Tsuna swivelled around, his eyes wide. "Don't touch that!" he shouted at her.

His mother flinched at his raised voice. "W-Why are you so angry?" she replied, hugging the laundry hamper. "Your room is so messy. Mama just wanted to help!"

"There's a reason why I keep my door locked when I'm school!" Tsuna snapped. He grabbed his school uniform from the hamper and shoved it under his desk. "I hate it when you touch my stuff without asking!"

Nana trembled at his rage. "Tell me what's wrong, Tsu-kun," she pleaded. "Don't be like this."

 _Tell her what's wrong?_ He wanted to laugh. It was for _her_ sake that he kept his clothes in the room, so that she wouldn't see the bloodstains and tears. So that she could continue to believe that everything about this pathetic life was perfectly fine and sublime and, _oh, Papa can't come home tonight because he has a conference in Antarctica, but of course he cares about us more than his work, Tsu-kun!_

"I'm fine," Tsuna gritted out. "I'm fine, okay?"

Tears were tracking down his mother's cheeks as she left his room. He waited until she was downstairs before locking his door. With his mood too soured for gaming, Tsuna began sorting through the junk on the floor, when he spotted a pile of study books under the bed. And his fitness diary that didn't go past day three, half-buried beneath a pair of boxers.

Forgotten resolutions from last New Year's, and recycled from the year before.

With a weary sigh, Tsuna let the bed covers back down and resumed cleaning. Once done, he grabbed his school uniform and took it to the bathroom, grabbing the bleach and stain-removal spray from the laundry room.

Except...there were no blood or mud stains on his uniform. Not even one. Mochida and his cronies hadn't shown up at school today, nor the day before. It had just been Tsuna and Yamamoto, and their rotation of teachers.

And while Yamamoto had never interacted with Tsuna, given that he was the school's baseball star, he didn't actively participate in the bullying. Tsuna's teachers had noticeably held back too. Probably because shaming Tsuna wasn't quite as effective without a crowd, and Yamamoto was a quiet student in the classroom.

 _Two weeks_. Hope blossomed in Tsuna's chest, even as he tried to force it down, because he was No-Good Tsuna, never lucky and -

His thoughts drifted back to the abandoned books and diary beneath his bed. He'd resolved to do a bit of studying every night, right? And how could he forget staring at his sickly figure in the boys' locker room, silently promising himself that he'd go for morning runs so that maybe he wouldn't come last and embarrass himself in P.E.? What had happened to those goals he'd once deemed achievable?

" _Do something about it,_ " Storm59's words echoed throughout his mind.

" _Use the remaining six months to take action, however small,_ " R had similarly said.

Tsuna closed his eyes and clasped his hands together in a prayer. During those two weeks of remedial classes, maybe - _just maybe_ \- things could work out for once.

* * *

 **Self-Improvement Forum**

 **New Topic: Things to do before the world ends**

 _Last week, someone on this forum suggested that I make a list of goals. They were really harsh but I guess I'm grateful they even bothered to read my post and spare some thoughts on it. As such, I am posting this online because an article said that goals become more realistic and attainable once they are made public._

 _Goal 1 - Make some friends_

 _There are six more months before the world ends. Maybe I could try making one friend per month. I've got some people in mind, mainly those who haven't been openly hostile towards me. I'll visit the Friendships and Relationships forums later, but if you have tips on how to make friends, please do let me know._

 _Goal 2 - Not suck at school_

 _I guess I'm not entirely retarded because despite consistently ranking last and failing my exams, I still do well enough to not have to repeat the year. Maybe I can do better. Maybe I'm terrible at school because I tell myself that my grades are beyond saving and use that as an excuse to play games all day and never study. Those study books under my bed were expensive, so I might as well put them to good use._

 _Goal 3 - Exercise more!_

 _P.E. is my worst nightmare. But it doesn't have to be. I should be able to go on runs three times a week, or somehow turn on my mother's treadmill that's currently gathering dust in our basement._

 _Goal 4 - Climb out of Bronze_

 _I'm kidding with this goal. But not really. I've been stuck in Bronze for two years and Silver has never looked so good._

 _Anyway, wish me luck, guys. I'll check in every now and then to update my progress. Bye for now!_

 _ **-** FabulousFish_

* * *

When Tsuna queued for another game that evening, he noticed that Storm59 was online.

" _I know I suck and I'm sorry for being rude to you earlier_ ," Tsuna admitted to him before he could change his own mind. " _But could you help me?_ "

Storm59 was silent. Tsuna twitched in his seat, waiting for a response. If there was ever going to be a response.

 _Don't take it personally - he doesn't know who I am,_ he reminded himself. Online, he was FabulousFish, and no one would connect that persona to No-Good Tsuna or Sawada Tsunayoshi because the internet was a colossal space.

" _Sorry, was outside smoking_ ," came the reply ten minutes later.

Tsuna's anxiety rushed back at full force. Uh oh. Some part of him was hoping Storm59 would never reply, so nothing would change and Tsuna wouldn't have to deal with an online stranger who was way too blunt and hostile for his liking.

" _Um hi,_ " Tsuna messaged. Crap, did he reply too soon? Would Storm59 think he was desperate? But then again, he supposed he _was_ kind of desperate, and to get the guy to help, Tsuna needed to show that there was a problem, right?

" _I just got back from work. Give me a moment._ "

" _How old are you?_ " Tsuna asked curiously. He'd assumed most people in his games were about his age, but someone who worked and smoked? Definitely not a middle schooler.

" _I'm_ _15_."

Tsuna's jaw dropped. " _Accelerated?_ "

" _Nah, school was too easy._ " Storm59 answered. " _Alright, I'm going to invite you to a custom game. Pick your best support champion and we'll go to the bottom lane together._ "

" _You don't want to 1v1 me?_ "

Tsuna could almost imagine Storm59 scoff. " _You're trash. You have the mechanics of a two year old. How would you beat me?_ "

" _Um...point taken?_ "

" _Well, it's trash_ can _, not trash_ cannot _. Put in the effort, and you'll get there. Eventually."_

* * *

This time, the comments on Tsuna's post appeared faster and slightly more supportive:

 **RE: Things to do before the world ends**

 _I just read your other post and wanted to let you know that I know exactly how you feel! I have two colleagues who are constantly belittling and hitting me to feel better about themselves. And like, they make fun of my makeup and motorbikes and octopus and call me their lackey!_

 _But I will not back down! I will show the world that I am the great Skull and everyone will bow down before me!_

 _\- The Immortal Skull_

Tsuna raised an eyebrow at this comment. It sounded like a child throwing a tantrum. 'Makeup and motorbikes and octopus'? What an odd combination. He was about to send a quick reply to The Immortal Skull, a word of support, when he saw two new replies:

 **RE: RE: Things to do before the world ends**

 _Do I know you, lackey?_

 _\- C_

 **RE: RE: RE: Things to do before the world ends**

 _It's definitely him. Hello, lackey._

 _\- R_

...R? Tsuna clicked on the user, and wasn't surprised to discover that it was the same R who'd replied to his other post. And any hopes that R would focus on bullying The Immortal Skull rather than Tsuna went down the toilet when a new notification popped up into his inbox:

 **RE: Things to do before the world ends**

 _I was pretty certain you would cry and delete your post after my reply but you stayed. I commend you for that. You have also created a solid list and established achievable goals, so good on you._

 _\- R_

Tsuna raised an eyebrow. So the asshole had insulted him and insinuated that being bullied was his fault, and now he was hoping a sprinkle of sugar could solve things. But R wasn't completely wrong after all, right? Shaking his head, Tsuna clicked on the reply button and typed a response:

 **[Private Message]**

 **Sender: FabulousFish**

 **Recipient: R**

 **Subject: Your reply**

 _As a matter of fact, your reply was very hurtful and I hated you for jumping to conclusions without knowing the full story. You don't understand the school dynamics in my country or know my personal circumstances, so it was very rude of you._

 _I don't want to argue with you though. And I guess making a list of goals can't hurt. I consider it to be a bucket list of sorts._

 _\- FabulousFish_

The reply appeared in his inbox moments later:

 **[Private Message]**

 **Sender: R**

 **Recipient: FabulousFish**

 **Subject: RE: Your reply**

 _I know. However, would you have done any of this self-reflection or seen more to life had I not provoked you?_

 _\- R_

Tsuna laughed out loud. What an arrogant prick. Tsuna didn't sense any hostility from R though. It was very possible that R was replying to his posts out of amusement, to feel better about himself as The Immortal Skull had said, but...could he actually be extending a helping hand? Either way, whatever R's real motives were, Tsuna might be able to benefit from his advice.

He cast his mind back to the custom game he had with Storm59. Sure, the gamer had a fiery temper and swore at Tsuna whenever he did something stupid, but Tsuna was already much better at dodging skillshots after one coaching session.

With a small smile on his lips, Tsuna began what was going to be a long exchanging of private messages with the mysterious R.

* * *

According to R, people bonded fastest over two types of things: common interests and common hates. Tsuna doubted he had any common interests with Yamamoto, so he opted for the latter.

"Remedial classes suck," Tsuna complained loudly when the baseball star walked into the classroom, late as usual.

If Yamamoto was shocked that _No-Good Tsuna_ was talking to him, he didn't show it. "Yeah," he agreed pleasantly.

Then the earphones were plugged back in and Tsuna slouched in his seat. Damn. He'd lost his window of opportunity. All that angst he'd suffered in preparation had been for naught.

He jumped onto his second goal: paying attention to class. Which proved to be near impossible because of the bloody heat. And the syllabus content was mind-numbingly boring. Besides, Tsuna was still reeling from Yamamoto's casual rejection at friendship.

Their usual maths teacher was currently visiting family in Hokkaido, so the school had hired a substitute. A lady in her early twenties, fresh out of university with a large debt yet willing to do a summer internship for the sake of her curriculum vitae. Nervous behind her spectacles, but with that naive determination to educate the next generation.

Tsuna might've liked her, if only she didn't teach his least favourite subject or stutter at the beginning of every sentence.

Once again, Tsuna contemplated escaping from the school during their lunch break. And like last time, the presence of Hibari Kyouya near the gates dissuaded him. So he was stuck in class for another three hours, trying to decode the horrors of circle geometry.

He lasted another forty minutes before his head dropped onto his textbook. He swore he heard Yamamoto snoring from the back row. Lucky bastard. Tsuna had insomnia.

"S-Sawada!" Arikawa-sensei snapped. "Pay attention!"

Tsuna jerked suddenly, his leg banging painfully against his desk. He skimmed the whiteboard, at the lines of numbers and foreign letters. "I'm sorry, sensei, I just don't get it," he admitted truthfully.

The substitute teacher removed her glasses and walked down the aisle towards Tsuna's desk. The latter quickly erased his doodles from his notebook and straightened his back.

"W-What is it that you don't understand?" Arikawa-sensei asked, taking the notebook to examine his work. He'd pretty much only copied what was on the whiteboard. And he might as well had been copying hieroglyphs.

 _I don't understand anything_ , Tsuna wanted to answer. Slumping further into his seat, he dumbly pointed at the whiteboard.

Arikawa-sensei sighed, took his pencil and began explaining the problem again, this time with another method.

"Wait...that's it?" Tsuna asked incredulously when they reached the solution. That had...actually made sense. He had understood something, which was an utter miracle, because he was No-Good Tsuna and wasn't _supposed_ to understand anything!

Still in disbelief and with his heart racing with excitement, he flipped to the next page of his textbook and attempted another problem. He solved it in five lines.

"That's correct, Sawada," the substitute teacher said, with an encouraging smile.

Tsuna hadn't given enough credit to her. Arikawa-sensei was an inexperienced teacher, but she obviously knew her material well and had patience. Above all, she didn't harbour any biases against him, except that he was a struggling student since he was taking remedial classes. There was none of that shit Nezu-sensei and the other staff liked to throw in his face on a daily basis.

And once that bit of maths theory clicked, everything else fell into place. Tsuna followed the lecture and the substitute teacher paused every now and then to check that he understood. It was probably the kindest thing anyone had ever done for him at Namimori Middle, and in his gratitude, he vowed that he would make it count.

He was still on a high when maths class ended. During the ten minute break before science class commenced, Tsuna approached his only classmate and shyly asked what music he was listening to.

"It's K-Pop!" Yamamoto answered with a grin, offering him an earphone.

"Gangnam Style!" Tsuna knew _that_ song very well. It was all over the radio and every store played it. He'd even learnt the dance from NicoNico tutorials!

With newfound courage, he showed some of the moves to Yamamoto, who beamed at him and flashed a thumbs up. "That was really cool, Tsuna! You've got to teach me sometime!"

 _Tsuna_. Not No-Good Tsuna, or anything equally defamatory. Tsuna really couldn't believe his ears.

Yamamoto showed him the rest of his playlist, mostly American songs. Songs none of his friends listened to, but was exactly the kind of music Tsuna listened to. A miraculous common interest.

Tsuna walked out of the school gates that day with someone by his side for the first time since elementary school. There was a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest, and pure, blissful _hope_ , and in that moment, it didn't matter that the sun scorched his skin, or that his backpack weighed a tonne. It didn't even matter that they were taking remedial classes on a Saturday during the summer break.

He'd just experienced something akin to friendship, and Tsuna wanted that moment to last forever.

* * *

A few years ago, when the rumours of the 2012 apocalypse had just surfaced, Tsuna decided that he wasn't building an ark. He frankly despised most human beings and would very gladly die in the first round of freak disasters because staying alive was simply too inconvenient.

He most definitely _wasn't_ going to save anyone, and he silently apologised to his mother for being such an unreliable son.

" _I've purchased a plane in preparation for the apocalypse. It's loaded with supplies and ammunition_ ," Storm59 told Tsuna, after spectating one of the his games against an insufferable yordle wearing an astronaut suit. " _With a few more adjustments, it can go into space_."

" _Wow_ ," Tsuna typed, seriously awed. Just how rich was Storm59? " _So you believe it too?_ "

" _The world will end when the planet Nibiru collides with Earth_ ," Storm59 explained, " _It will cause the North and South poles to shift, resulting in drastic increases in temperature, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis. Although the leading governments of the world have almost completed their arks, the majority of humanity will cease to exist by the end of December."_

" _Like in the movie, '2012'?_ " Tsuna asked. " _Then only the elite would be able to board the arks._ "

" _That's why it's necessary to maintain good relations with UMAs. They're Earth's only hope._ "

Storm59 then launched into a long discussion about the existence of extraterrestrial beings he'd coined as Unidentified Mysterious Animals - or UMAs, and how they have had relations with Earth for millenia. In fact, it had been an UMA who'd tipped off the Earthlings about Nibiru's approach.

It offered a different yet fascinating perspective, and Tsuna made sure to save everything Storm59 said. The theory of Nibiru's collision with Earth was a lot more persuasive than some prophecy the Mayans had come up with thousands of years ago.

Tsuna grinned. Maybe he could tell Yamamoto and some of his classmates when the new semester began.

* * *

 **Self-Improvement Forum**

 **RE: Things to do before the world ends**

 _Hey guys, it's FabulousFish again. It's been about a week since I posted my bucket list onto this forum. To be honest, I hadn't thought any real changes would have occured since, but as you're about to discover, my life became more interesting for sure._

 _I think I made my first friend at school. I somehow mustered up the courage to talk to my classmate who's stuck in remedial classes with me, and it turns out we both love the same kind of music! We're far from close, but we talk and sing along to 'Call Me Maybe' and 'Gangnam Style' and it's nice being able to look forward to school, knowing there's someone there who doesn't make it their purpose to ruin you._

 _We also had our first round of quizzes today and I passed everything! It's amazing that I'm actually understanding things in class. I'm really grateful for my new teacher who has been so patient and helpful, and I wish that school could always be like this. Without the bullies present and all. So I guess I gotta enjoy it while I can._

 _There's also this guy I met online a while back in a game. He was shitting on me so hard, being a Diamond smurf (maybe higher), but he's been helping me learn the game properly. An amazing turn of events, right? We also had a chat about the upcoming apocalypse, and he's so cool and intelligent. It makes me wonder if we can be friends with people we've never met in real life._

 _And R, if you're reading this - thank you. We had a rocky start, but you've also been a mentor to me. I've come to really appreciate you and your help as I've already mentioned many times in our private messages. Sorry for being late with my replies recently, I know it sounds crazy but I was actually studying for my quizzes. (Are you proud?)_

 _Anyway, remedial classes are ending soon. We have exams at the end of this week, and then school starts the week after. So I'll be off making notes! XD_

 _Later!_

 _\- FabulousFish_

* * *

Tsuna didn't realise how much time he'd spent studying until his mother slid a plate of his favourite white chocolate chip cookies onto his desk and gave him a hug.

"My Tsu-kun is so hard working!" she said, ruffling his hair. "You're studying on your day off!"

"I have to. I'm studying with Yamamoto this afternoon," Tsuna replied with a small smile. He'd been doing well in maths recently, so the plan was to help Yamamoto with calculus and geometry, and Yamamoto would help him with science. Then they'd revise their other subjects so they wouldn't be so screwed for the upcoming exams.

And Yamamoto had invited him to have lunch together at his restaurant after their study session!

"Mama is so happy you've found a friend!" Nana said. "I've made an extra batch so feel free to give some to Yamamoto-kun!"

Tsuna didn't have the best relationship with his mother these days, being a misunderstood teenager going through his rebellious phase, but at that moment, he truly and genuinely loved her and appreciated her support.

"You're the best, mum," he told her, emotion flooding his voice. "I'm so sorry for being so rude and horrible to you last week. You've always been there for me, and I just wanted to say I'm really grateful for everything."

As he returned the hug, he felt it again - _hope_.

* * *

The night before his exam, Tsuna logged onto his game. He was pretty much done with revising his subjects, so he figured a casual game wouldn't hurt. And he kind of missed chatting with his online buddy.

" _Up for a game?_ " Storm59 asked almost immediately.

Tsuna raised an eyebrow at this, but felt a rush of excitement. He'd only played custom games with Storm59 over the past few weeks, with the latter mostly spectating Tsuna's games and providing feedback. Tsuna had been improving enough to win games against players of his own level.

" _Am I finally ready to duo with you against other humans?_ " Tsuna replied jokingly.

" _I'll carry_ ," was the snarky answer. Tsuna laughed and accepted the game request.

They took bottom lane as usual, thankfully without any last minute jungle invasions. It was like their custom games - Storm59 killing the enemy minions for gold and Tsuna positioning his champion to deny the enemy farm and attacking them when they got too close.

Predictably, the drama began during the second phase of the game. Tsuna had just died saving their top laner, who'd just managed to escape with a sliver of health. And as expected, Storm59 got pissed and launched an onslaught of invectives.

Tsuna sighed. " _Sorry,_ " he typed. " _My shield was on cooldown._ "

" _Not you, you're fine_ ," Storm59 answered. " _I'm referring to our dumbass top laner. Even a blind person could have dodged that skillshot!_ "

" _Fcuk u_ ," the top laner replied. " _Suk my dic._ "

" _It's okay, I've got your back_ ," Tsuna told him, as the death timer hit zero. He teleported to the fight, casting a magic shield onto himself before moving between his dying top laner and the enemy mage. He successfully threw a snare at the enemy, rooting him for two seconds and allowing Storm59 to jump in and clean up the fight.

" _Good job!_ " Storm59 praised, making Tsuna grin.

" _Took all my kills omg I quit_ ," the top laner raged. What an ungrateful bastard. Tsuna and Storm59 had just saved his ass!

" _Shut up, feeder_ ," Storm59 retorted. " _Go back to base. Or better yet, go back into your mother's womb._ "

" _Report Storm59 and FabulousFish for smurfing!_ "

" _Suk my dic,_ " Tsuna couldn't help but add. " _I can't believe I just trash-talked someone!_ " he sent in a private in-game message to his lane buddy. And someone had mistaken him for a smurf!

Whatever Storm59 wrote in response was lost when the blue and gold victory screen appeared. Tsuna stood up from his seat and cheered.

* * *

 **[Private Message]**

 **Sender: FabulousFish**

 **Recipient: R**

 **Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Your reply**

 _Hey R, apologies for the late reply. So I just finished my remedial exams and they were okay. I've had help from my teachers and the guys on the forums here have been assisting me with the homework questions I got stuck on. This place is awesome! It was really cool meeting tutors and university students from all around the world._

 _(And best of all, I met you :P)_

 _I'm confident I passed my exams, but I guess the only thing that's making me feel anxious at the moment is the upcoming semester. I think I was able to become friends with my classmate because my usual bullies weren't lurking about. I've been over the moon hanging out with him, but I know it isn't a good idea for us to be seen together because befriending the school outcast is social suicide._

 _You mentioned that the best way to gain the respect of your peers is to appear competent and successful. I suppose it's time I get started on my third goal (exercise more!), and maybe take self-defence classes. Improve my grades as well. It would take at least months before I can stand up against them though, and I was hoping you could give me some tips on what to do in the meantime._

 _Once again, I'm sorry I got mad at you at the start. It's never easy accepting you might be causing your own problems. But things are looking better, and hope is a strange thing._

 _\- FabulousFish_

 **[Private Message]**

 **Sender: R**

 **Recipient: FabulousFish**

 **Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Your reply**

 _There is no need to pick a fight with your bullies. Avoid them when you can and do not let them bait you. Be aware of your surroundings and do not place yourself in a position where you can be cornered._

 _When you inevitably have to interact with them, keep your interactions short and do not provoke them. If you can laugh off an insult or ignore it and leave the scene before blows are exchanged, they will eventually lose interest and stop going after you._

 _Alternatively, you could surround yourself with the right people. Who are the most influential people at your school in your class, apart from your bullies? Gain their approval, and you will find others accepting you as well._

 _Good luck,_

 _\- R_

* * *

As horrible as it sounded, sometimes it was necessary to borrow other people's power if you had none yourself. It was what R had been instructing him all evening, and it never became easier to swallow that it was apparently okay for some to use others in such a manner.

Still, it got Tsuna thinking. It was unquestionable that Hibari had the most authority at Namimori Middle School. He maintained the peace and order of Namimori Middle by beating up the school's delinquents and making them join his personal fighting squad. Whenever he saw a crowd or fight on the school grounds, he'd come charging in with his tonfas blazing.

Which was why Mochida and his cronies only ever got violent when Hibari wasn't present. So if Tsuna stayed at the edge of the prefect's radar, they'd be discouraged from attacking him, right?

The thinking distracted him so much that he didn't pay much attention to Mochida's entrance. The bully ignored him too, instead sauntering over to their school's idol, Kyoko.

He sat on her desk and leaned close to her face in a disgusting display of masculine dominance. Tsuna couldn't bring himself to watch. "Morning, Kyoko-chan!" Mochida said loudly, his grin almost predatory.

"Oh my gosh, what a monkey," Kurokawa muttered, followed by murmurs of agreement from the other girls in the room.

"Hello, Mochida-senpai," Kyoko said with a dazzling smile.

The disapproving glares softened, and suddenly the girls who were complaining about Mochida's attitude, minus Kurokawa, were vying for his attention.

"Morning, Mochida-senpai!" they giggled.

The answer was right there. The person who held the most influence in the classroom was _Kyoko_.

* * *

After every high, a low was inevitable. Tsuna tried not to feel too disheartened when things seemed to pick up from exactly where they were before the end of last semester.

 _It's not Yamamoto's fault_ , he told himself when the baseball star was swept away by his fellow teammates during lunch. Yamamoto needed to maintain his reputation and was simply too busy with baseball and his other social commitments to hang out with Tsuna.

So he was alone again. But why should it matter, when Tsuna had always been alone? With a sigh, he slowly packed his books into his bag, waiting for everyone to leave the classroom. Usually Mochida and his cronies rushed to the cafeteria, so Tsuna made a beeline for the toilet stalls, where he would have his usual lunch date with campaign posters and wall graffiti.

Only, the heavens hated him. Mochida emerged from the toilets, his larger frame blocking the entrance. Four ugly faces backed him up and they rolled up their sleeves, delighted that their prey had walked right into them.

Mochida grinned, baring his teeth. " _Hello_ , No-Good Tsuna. Happy to see us again?"

 _Shit_. Tsuna instinctively froze, dread pooling in his stomach. A series of images flashed throughout his mind - a bone-shattering blow to the jaw, a kick crushing his abdomen, his head submerged in the toilet bowl. Him whimpering on the floor, then returning to class dripping wet and shivering, to the laughter of his teacher and classmates, because if he remained missing, the school would call his mother and she would demand _explanations_.

Mochida advanced forward, with that usual smirk he had when he knew Tsuna was trapped. Tsuna shakily took a step back, already feeling his back slam into the brick wall. And he hunched forward, his eyes closing as he braced himself for the _pain_ -

Only, there was no wall behind him. He took another step back, then another, his heart pounding in his chest. _No_ , Tsuna realised, when he felt the breeze brush against his skin. He _wasn't_ cornered.

" _Be aware of your surroundings_ ," R had instructed. Tsuna was in the Western Quadrangle, far away from the cafeteria where most of the school gathered during lunch. It was a place where nobody would find him...and a place where Mochida and his cronies could beat him up without any witnesses.

There was a dark staircase on the other side of the quadrangle leading to the rooftop. Without warning, Tsuna thrust his heavy backpack at Mochida and bolted towards it. Even as the stairs took all his breath away, he willed himself to keep going, to move faster as the bullies pursued, snarling insults after him.

They jumped on him as he flung open the door and they stumbled onto the rooftop, momentarily blinded by the light.

A dark shadow descended upon them, followed by a glint of sinister steel. When Mochida and his posse came to their senses, it was already too late.

"The rooftop is off limits," Hibari Kyouya said coldly, his black uniform jacket fluttering behind him like a cape. "You have disturbed my sleep."

Tsuna watched the colour drain from their faces. Mochida tried to stand, but flinched under the prefect's glare.

And as Hibari unleashed judgment upon them all, Tsuna gazed right into Mochida's eyes and _grinned_ , because he was no longer the Tsuna they remembered, the easy target they had bullied for years and gotten away with every time.

Because _this_ Tsuna would bring them down with him.

* * *

Tsuna was met with curious stares as he returned to the classroom thirty minutes into Nezu-sensei's lecture. Heavy silence dawned upon them as he limped his way to his seat, dragging his backpack but staring straight ahead with his head held high.

"Hey, you alright?" Yamamoto murmured to Tsuna, frowning at the plaster stuck to the latter's face. "You've got this crazy glint in your eyes."

Warmth fluttered in Tsuna chest - his friend was talking to him with others around, and _showing concern_ \- but he simply nodded and sat at his desk, ignoring the death threats scrawled onto the surface in permanent marker.

Gazes flickered towards the five empty desks in the classroom. Desks that wouldn't be filled for the next few days, as Mochida and his cronies recuperated in hospital. Tsuna glanced down at his own desk, his mouth curving into a vindictive smirk.

"Late again, Sawada," Nezu-sensei announced, his tone dripping with disdain. "If only you showed up to class on time and paid attention to my lectures, then you wouldn't always be a failure of a student."

 _Do not let them bait you._ Tsuna tuned the teacher out and wordlessly withdrew his books from his bag, thankful that nothing had been vandalised. The class silently observed. Soon, the attempt at public humiliation grew awkward.

Nezu-sensei coughed loudly and stalked up to Tsuna's desk. "Shall we see if remedial classes have improved that dull brain of yours?" he sneered.

It was ridiculous. Here he was, in a classroom with an actual intention to study and achieve good grades, yet his own teacher was hellbent on crushing his spirit. Maybe Tsuna _was_ pretty much hopeless in the past, but wasn't it a teacher's duty to help and encourage them learn and grow?

"Try me," he challenged, looking his teacher right in the eye.

Nezu-sensei haughtily pointed to the whiteboard behind him. "Answer the questions."

"14," Tsuna replied in a heartbeat. "14 is the most basic on the pH scale. 0 is the most acidic. 7 is neutral." It was straightforward material that he'd read in his textbook a few days ago. Which was absolutely shocking to his teacher, who apparently thought Tsuna was illiterate.

"That's right," Kurokawa said, upon the teacher's stunned silence.

Tsuna narrowed his eyes as Nezu-sensei's expression darkened. What an awful teacher, for refusing to believe their student was capable of changing for the better.

Without Mochida and his cronies supporting his bullying antics, Nezu-sensei peeled his attention away from Tsuna and begrudgingly resumed his lecture.

Moments later, Tsuna felt a tap on his foot. A folded note dropped onto his open textbook. He glanced up to see Kyoko flashing him an encouraging smile. She nudged her head to the right, in the direction of Kurokawa, who looked more than a little smug.

Tsuna gingerly unfolded the note. ' _Tell me everything_ ,' it read.

* * *

Hibari Kyouya was sleeping under the sun when Tsuna visited the rooftop the next day. He quietly closed the door behind him and sat behind the rails, gazing forlornly at the field below. The baseball team were practicing for an upcoming competition, and Tsuna wished he was down there, cheering Yamamoto on at the bleachers.

"The rooftop is off limits, herbivore," a voice intoned.

Tsuna closed his eyes. He sensed no murderous intent from Hibari, which was a good sign. "It's nice up here," he replied with a soft smile. "I can avoid the crowd."

Kyoko had actually invited him to have lunch with her friends in the cafeteria before he'd left the classroom. Kurokawa probably had something to do with it, as she'd clearly been dying to know what had happened to Mochida and his cronies. Tsuna was honestly over the moon that Kyoko was being nice to him, but had politely declined her invitation because he didn't feel quite ready, and she had been very understanding.

Besides, there was something empowering about being so high up, and seeing all those people below running about like ants. Something about new perspectives. And as he stood at the edge of the rooftop, Tsuna imagined himself soaring through the air, completely free and unafraid. He had never been bothered by heights - he loved being closer to the sky.

"The railing is unstable," Hibari warned.

Tsuna hummed in agreement and stepped back. He stopped a metre from the railing and sat cross-legged on the cement floor, before unpacking his lunch. In the field below, Yamamoto had just hit a home run, making Tsuna smile.

Hibari watched him without a word, probably contemplating beating Tsuna to pulp as he had to Mochida and the others the day before. And possibly regretting allowing Tsuna to leave with just a few scratches.

"You're wondering why I'm not afraid of you," Tsuna blurted out after a minute.

Hibari twitched. "Why?"

Tsuna shrugged. Maybe being closer to the sky gave him strength. "You're not a bad person," he answered instead. "You helped me get Mochida and his friends off my back."

It was temporary, of course. But after pulling that stunt, Mochida would surely be more wary of picking a fight with Tsuna. He probably thought Tsuna was insane, which apparently did wonders for intimidation, according to a post Tsuna had read on the forums.

"That is ridiculous, herbivore," Hibari deadpanned.

"Isn't life itself ridiculous?" Tsuna quipped. "The world is supposed to end in a few months. But look at everyone, living their lives as usual. As if there will be no apocalypse."

Hibari didn't appear impressed with his reasoning. Tsuna sighed heavily. "You really enjoy fighting don't you, Hibari-san?" he asked.

"Hn."

"And you see it as your duty to punish violations of the school rules?" he pressed on. "To maintain order and encourage discipline?"

Hibari peered at him intently and Tsuna raised his hands, laughing softly. "What I'm saying is, I'm kind of a trouble magnet. And then there's you, who enforces the school rules and maintains order. We'll probably see each other a lot, so maybe we could get to know each other better?"

* * *

 **Self-Improvement Forum**

 **RE: RE: Things to do before the world ends**

 _Hey guys, just checking in to let you know that I'm alive. It's been about three months since my last post, three long months that seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye. Thank you for your encouraging comments and private messages - your support means the world to me!_

 _Things have been okay on my end. I'm still working on those goals, especially the one about exercising more. I have this crazy story that involves running away from muggers whilst grocery shopping, and then bumping into a guy who started running with me whilst yelling something along the lines of 'EXTREME! COME JOIN THE BOXING CLUB!'_

 _It turns out that his sister is in my class and she's just picked up boxing too. And here's the thing - she's really friendly, said that it would be fun, and I just nodded dumbly at the two of them, completely sold (cute girls gaahhh). So I rocked up to a training session and realised that pretty much everyone was a noob so we all made fun of each other. Which probably explains why the club has never won a single tournament in five years but oh well._

 _The most important change in my life, however, would be my school life. It still intrigues me that when you find a place to belong with others, you will inevitably encounter more people and suddenly you're not alone. I met so many people during the last three months who have taught me to be brave, to believe in myself and to just reach out, because while you might think the world is against you, it's actually not the case._

 _Like today, during P.E. class. We were playing volleyball and the captains had to select their team as usual. Since I'm short, clumsy and have terrible coordination skills, I expected to be the last pick. Happens all the time, you know. But then the weirdest thing happened - one of the captains confidently announced that I was his first pick._

 _Everyone probably thought he was crazy. But the other guys who then joined my team started hollering at the opposing team, bragging that we'd win. The story then gets even more insane -_ _I somehow blocked a shot with my fucking balls which resulted in this awkward silence and then people started cheering. For me._

 _I think this is a victory, guys. A success story of how the school loser manages to rise against all odds and make friends. To have the school cohort warm up to him and accept that he is more than what they had seen him as._

 _And the best part? My usual bullies haven't bothered me in weeks. When the school cohort accepts that you are more than a loser and warms up to you, the bullies suddenly lose their influence and leave you alone._

 _Once again, thank you all for your support. I couldn't have made it without you guys!_

 _\- FabulousFish_

* * *

In November, Tsuna decided that it was time to finally make the leap from Bronze to Silver. It had taken him a week to climb to Bronze I and enter his promotional matches. So far he'd won two, duoing with Kurokawa both times as his marksman. It was a partnership that had seemed impossible, but it had somehow worked out perfectly.

"WE DID IT!" Tsuna cheered, when the blue and gold victory screen appeared at the end of their game. He ignored the annoyed looks their neighbouring gamers at the netcafe shot him because _they'd won_. They had successfully climbed out of Bronze, and it felt amazing having his final goal ticked off his bucket list.

Kurokawa was outright smirking as they exchanged high-fives. "We'll be Gold next season," she announced with a satisfied nod. "You did well, Sawada."

" _CONGRATULATIONS!"_ Storm59 messaged, emerging from spectator mode. Tsuna spammed emoticons in response, sheer words unable to describe his excitement.

Tsuna was still spazzing out when a timid voice piped up from his left. "Um hey, are you FabulousFish?"

He turned around, facing a bespectacled red haired boy with cool headphones. "Uh yeah, that's me," Tsuna replied.

"I'm Shou1 - we were in the same game just then," the redhead answered shyly. "The middle laner on the opposing team."

Kurokawa laughed and rolled her eyes. "You and Enma00 totally fed him, Sawada."

"That's true - you were awesome out there, man," Tsuna told him. "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, and my friend is Kurokawa Hana. It's nice to meet you. We thought we were going to lose for sure against your team."

"I'm Irie Shouichi. Nice to meet you too. It's okay, that was my first promo," Irie said. His voice slightly trembled when he spoke, and Tsuna really felt for him. And respected him for reaching out even when it made him anxious. "I usually get horrible cramps when I play ranked games, but that was fun," he confessed.

"Hey, we had loads of fun too," Tsuna said, sending him a friend request. The three added each other in-game and exchanged Skype usernames. Then Tsuna created a new game and sent Irie and Kurokawa invites, along with one to Enma00, who'd admirably never given up and had still tried his best even after Shou1 kept deleting him in lane.

" _Wanna play with us noobs? ;)"_ Tsuna messaged Storm59, because his celebratory game could never be complete without his coach.

" _I'd love to,"_ was the instantaneous reply. And so the five of them queued up for a casual game, ready to wreak havoc.

* * *

 **[Private message]**

 **Sender: FabulousFish**

 **Recipient: R**

 **Subject: We survived the apocalypse!**

 _It's midnight, December 22. I'm currently by the ocean despite the freezing cold, with a bucket load of fireworks, no lighter and a group of friends that are trying to start a fire with twigs so we could celebrate surviving the end of the world._

 _Just kidding! XD I just finished watching a movie with my Mum and it's pretty obvious by now that the world will remain intact. The friend of mine who owns a plane messaged me earlier saying that humankind's negotiations with UMAs have been successful, so we are safe from Planet Nibiru for at least another millennia._

 _Looking back, 2012 has been a great year. The best year of my life. I started off with no allies and a hopeless reputation, and now my newfound friends and I are organising a Christmas party. My friend with the plane said he's going to fly to Japan, and I'm so excited to meet him in person._

 _I wish I could meet you as well, R. We've been messaging each other for half a year and I still don't know your name. To be fair I haven't shared mine either but...I want to know you better. Perhaps one day I could thank you in person._

 _Until then,_

 _\- FabulousFish_

 **[Private Message]**

 **Sender: R**

 **Recipient: FabulousFish**

 **Subject: RE: We survived the apocalypse!**

 _I am certain that we will meet soon and become very acquainted with each other. Have you ever wondered what your father does for a living, Sawada Tsunayoshi?_

 _\- Reborn_


End file.
